Teams from the Institute of Forensic Medicine have begun excavations within the Dubrava Prison compound, in search of the remains of a person missing during or after the Kosovo War.
Ilir Morina, a prosecutor with the Special Prosecution Office, confirmed that the investigation was launched following the identification of a key witness by the Kosovo Police, who provided crucial information about an incident that took place shortly after the war ended.
“According to the witness, a person was found in the mountainous area a few days after the war. Without help from anyone, the witness buried the person in a location that is now within the prison perimeter. He showed us the place, and based on his testimony, the excavations are now underway,” Morina stated.
Currently, specialized teams are working on-site, and the investigation will continue to determine whether the indicated area contains the remains of the missing individual.
Kushtrim Gara from the Government Commission on Missing Persons stated that this is the tenth excavation site undertaken this year.
“Once weather conditions improve, we’ll begin excavations in Malisheva municipality, followed by a case in Prishtina involving possible misidentification, then return to the Obrançë site where remains of at least one individual were recently found. We will also continue in the Arbëria neighborhood of Prishtina, where the remains of three individuals were discovered and buried weeks ago. We’re revisiting two sites in Istog, specifically the city cemetery, where remains of at least two individuals have been found. Further excavations are also planned in Syriganë, between Skenderaj and Istog, and in Zubin Potok. Today, we returned to Dubrava.
A persistent challenge remains the lack of cooperation from Serbia, which continues to delay or refuse the initiation of new excavations on its territory,” Gara emphasized.
